Kitty Garrity was born into a family of New England innovators so it is perfectly logical that, as a lifetime equestrian who trained with Olympic dressage riders, she could not stop imagining potential improvements in the equipment she used every day.

L'Apogée Saddlery, the equestrian equipment company she founded with her husband, Bob, in Middleburg, Virginia, is the culmination of Kitty's conviction that the design of everything from stirrups to saddles can be improved to better serve both horse and rider.

Kitty's equestrian equipment is handsome, functional and highly innovative but you would have to sit in one of her saddles to enjoy the difference. L'Apogée pieces are so classically beautiful and impeccably made that they compete successfully with the very best of the French makers.

After completing her pre-vet BA in equine science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Kitty went to England to study dressage.

When she returned to the United States, she settled in Middleburg to represent a leading riding equipment manufacturer in an eight-state territory.

"As I listened to our customers, I had many ideas about how to improve our equestrian equipment," Kitty said. "But I learned the hard way that you have to keep good ideas for yourself."

For twenty years, Kitty sold thousands of saddles for other companies, helping to build their brands and improve their designs. Eventually she realized that she had the experience, the drive and the talent to establish her own brand in 2003, and she began to sketch a saddle that would carry the L'Apogée label.

Kitty knew what she was up against. Most high-end saddles are designed by European men.

She built so much business in her eight-state area that she prevailed upon her husband, Bob, to join her and, in addition to L'Apogée, he now serves as sales manager for Troxell Helmets.

"We work together now, sometimes twenty hours a day, but we love it," Kitty says.

L'Apogée translates from the French to mean the pinnacle of crowning achievement, and one only need visit the company's bucolic offices at the Harry Bird Farm near Winchester that these equestrian products are aptly named.

"I do three different 'trees' in the jumping saddle," Kitty explained after she pointed out that almost all saddles have a core element called a 'tree' that is the fundamental element on which the saddle is built. Years ago, all saddles were made with wooden trees and all premium saddles are built on wooden trees today, but many brands now use synthetic for the tree.

L'Apogée saddles offer many innovations but they are all built on wooden trees to Kitty's design. The premium laminated beech wood tree has short points that angle slightly back to allow freedom in the shoulder that gives the horse better balance.

Kitty selects leathers from the finest offered and she in involved in every aspect of the decision-making process as the design moves through each stage of manufacture. French calfskin and buffalo hide are used on some saddles because it remains soft and pliable but also offers exceptional durability.

"Our LX has more flair for lift and freedom in the shoulders," she explains. The LXI has more flair but it also has a higher pommel. These and our other saddles are designed to provide maximum fit, freedom and comfort for both the rider and the horse without compromising any of the classic beauty and workmanship we all want."

When Kitty talks about the gullets on L'Apogée saddles you know you're talking to a horsewoman. In the equestrian world, the way the horse moves and the condition of his or her back is extremely important. It is the width of the gullet that provides room for the horse's spine.

"Our gullets are four fingers wide to leave room for the horse's spine," she emphasizes. "Horses that develop sore backs can go on to have chronic conditions that keep them from being ridden and can take them out of competition."

"An ill-fitting saddle can pinch and lead to a sore back and lifelong vet bills. It can also lead to rider injury. Our goal is to achieve a perfect balance and fit for both horse and rider."

As interest in the L'Apogée line grows, Kitty is adding designs for bridles, standing martingales, luggage and stirrups.

"We want to compete with the finest designer brands," Kitty says.

"Our new Royal Rider Sport Flex stirrups are superb for polo because they are so light compared to the traditional metal stirrup. They give the rider much more lift, and that allows the horse more height and comfort over the jumps."

"Torrance Watson Fleischmann rides in our deep seat saddle, and Hilda Gurney, Betsy Steiner and Aaron Vale ride in our new, light-weight stirrups. These are demanding, discriminating riders who want the best for themselves and their horses."

Although Kitty understands that the North American rider needs a longer saddle flap and a bigger, softer block, she is delighted to be receiving calls from around the world for L'Apogée products.

"We're receiving inquiries from Japan, Australia, Switzerland, England and South America," she notes. "I want to continue to add to our brand by creating innovative designs that take advantage of everything I've learned over the decades I've loved horses and been a professional in the equestrian business."

If her new bridles, so soft no horse could ever complain about sore ears, are an indication, Kitty Garrity may have created a brand in L'Apogée that will serve both the Middleburg area and her own interests very well.

To contact Kitty Garrity for a personal fitting, or to learn more about L'Apogée Saddlery, please email LApogee@aol.com or telephone 800 800 4261.